West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-04-28
CHE BOX IN THE CORNER.

1t Is some years since was station
master, baggage agent telegraph-oper-
iItor and ticket-seler at little village near
Oome valuable oil wells. The station. house
was quite distance from the unpre-
tentious thoroughfare that had grown mn
IN day, and my duties were so arduous
that had scarcely leisure for weekly
hitting to certain mansion on the hill
"here dwelt Ellen Morris, my promised
wlle. In fact, 1t was with the hone of
lessenlng the distance bLtween us that I
had undertaken these quadruple duties.
Ihe day had been gloomy, and toward
the afternoon ominous rolls of thunder
pretended "a storm.
Colonel Holloway, the well-known
treasurer OF the oil company, had been in
the village several days. About one
o'clock he came hurricdly into the Office
with package, which he laid upon nv
desk, saying
rake care of that, Bowen, till to-
morrow. I'm going up the road"
Inc commission was not an unusual
one, and my safe was one Of Marvin's
Dest. lcounted the money, which footed
up INTO the thousands, placed it in the
ofnclai envelope, affixed the seals, and
deposited il in the safe AsI turned
away from the lock, a voice at the door
said:
Say, mister, can you tell me the way
to the post-ofliceI'
a sort OF shocI went through me at
the unexpected presence that seemed to
have dropped down from nowhere, and /
replied, irritably:
You could not miss it if you tried.
Keep straight ahead"
Soon large drops of rain came down
then faster and more furiously, until
the air was one vast sheet of water
and little rivers lcaped madiy along the
gullles and culvcrts FOrked lightning
kept pace with the pcaling thunder. and
heavens own artillcry seemed let loose
Anything more dismal or dreary could
not we'll be imagined, and gradually the
Loneliness grew oppressive. Every strap.
gler had fled 20 shelter and the usual
ldlers had deserted the platform. But |
resoluteiy set TO work at the dry statistics
OF the station-books, with an occasional
call to the wires, which were ticking like
mad, so fierce was the electric current
1t was near five o'clock when n long
freight train came numbering by. switched
OIL car or two, then dragged its slow
length onward. This created a brief di
version, then once more was deserted.
The next passenger train was not due
till ten o'clock. ! lit the lamps and re.
signed myself with questionable patience
70 the intervening hours. An agreeable
interruption came in the form of nv
supper, which was brought in a water
proof basket by a sort Of iack-at-alI-
trades whom we called Jake. Shaking
himself like a great dog. he "1owed
there want much more water left up
yondcr nohow."
II hope not, indeed" ] said. glad OF
the sound Of a human voice "Jake p'
called, as he left the Office. "come
you"
had vague idea Of dispatching
some sort Of report TO Ellen that ] had
not been entirely washed away, and OBJ
tanning similar comfort as to her own
late J. little thought j should really
need him.
think I ann not by nature more
tmid Than other men, but as the dis
mai evening closed ~ took from my
desk two revolvers kept ready for pos
nble emergencies, and laid one upon the
desk where / was making freight en-.
tries, aud the other on the table where
the electric battery stood At inter
walls q fresh package for the night ex-
press was brought by some dripping
carrier, who deposited It, got his re
ceipt hung about for q few moments.
then fastened away 10 more comfort
able quarters
Still the rain poured in torrents. II
must have been nearly nine o'clock
when n wagon, hurriedly driven, sud
denly stopped ut the platform. In mo-
ment the door was flung open, aud saw
q small ambulance well known about the
village. Two men spmng out, and with
the aid Of the driver and his assistant
proceeded e. lit out q box which from its
dimensions could contain only one kind
OF freight, TO wit, the remains Of a hu-
man being
Carefully placing this box in remote
corner OF the room, near other boxes
awaiting transportation, the driver and
his man returned TO their wagon. while
the two strangers approached the desk TO
enter their ghastly freight They wore
slouched hats and were very wet. They
produced death certificate Of one John
Slate, who had died at q farmhouse sew.
eral miles away, of a non contagious com
plant and was 20 be shipped 20 friends
down the road This was an. There
vas nothing singular about il, and yet,